Joseph Christian Lillie
Encyclopedia
Joseph Christian Lillie (20 March 1760 – 29 January 1827), also known as J.C. Lillie, was a Danish neoclassical
architect
and
interior design
er. His early career was in Denmark
, where he is mainly known for his interior designs and furniture production. His later career was in Schleswig
-Holstein
, where he is known for his independent architectural works.
to master
cabinetmaker Georg Friederich Lillie and wife Maria Eva Schils. He is presumed to have trained as a cabinetmaker
.
He was educated at the Royal Danish Academy of Art
ca. 1774-1780, and was a student of Caspar Frederik Harsdorff
, then Director of the Academy and Denmark’s leading architect in the late 18th century, now referred to as “The Father of Danish Classicism”. He won both the Academy’s little silver medallion and the large silver medallion in 1775. He won the little gold medallion in 1777, and the large gold medallion in 1779, the same year as fellow architecture student Christian Frederik Hansen
won his gold medallion. He and Hansen became friends, and Lillie worked closely with him during his career.
In early 1784 the Cabinetmaking Guild
tried to prevent his getting a license to run the family cabinetmaking workshop, which his recently deceased mother had run as a widow after the death of his father. The Guild did not recognize him as having Guild rights, because he had not received Guild recognition on a submitted work for approval
. The Academy, under Johannes Wiedewelt
’s leadership, supported Lillie’s request for a trade license as a cabinetmaker in Copenhagen. The Chancellery
awarded him all Guild rights, because he had won the Academy’s large gold medallion in 1779. He received his trade license that year, and ran the workshop 1784-1799.
That same year, on Harsdorff’s recommendation, he was hired by new Director Carsten Anker as inspector and designer at The Royal Furniture Storehouse (Det kongelige Møbelmagasin), replacing Georg Roentgen from Neuwied. The Storehouse was a national institution with the aim of improving domestic furniture production by creating model production facilities, supporting new master craftsmen, and selling furniture in its own store.
He married Rebekka Marie Clausen June 25, 1784.
His talents were also used for the interior design of apartments at Christiansborg Palace
. His first large work was the decoration of the suite at the castle for the newly married Princess Louise Augusta and Christian Friedrich of Augustenborg in 1786.
In 1787 he was cited for negligence of duties as a teacher at the Academy, and was refused a travel stipend, which should have been his due as recipient of the gold medallion eight years prior. Fellow gold medallion winner that same year and friend C.F. Hansen had also been refused a travel stipend, but was able to travel on account of direct financial dispensation from Dowager Queen Juliane Marie
and King Christian VII
.
In 1788 he applied for the job of City Architect i Copenhagen, but to no avail.
He married his second wife Julie Meinier (Meunier) in France.
In 1790 Lillie did the interior design for Crown Prince and Regent Frederik
’s apartments both at Christiansborg Palace
, and at Frederiksberg Palace
. On November 3, 1790 he was appointed Interior Designer to the Danish Court.
He travelled in Norway 1793.
The interior decoration in 1794-1795 of various apartments in Schack's Palace (today commonly referred to as Christian IX’s Palace) at Amalienborg
, then the home of the Crown Prince and his family, are also attributed to him.
The Christiansborg fire of 1794 destroyed much of his work at the castle, although some individual pieces survived.
, where the second half of his career began.
His second wife died July 21, 1804 in Lübeck.
He became resident architect for C.F. Hansen with the establishment of Kastorf and Kramonshagen in Holstein 1801-1802.
He became the Director and Professor of Architecture, Perspective and Geometry at the Freie Zeichenschule, Lübeck in 1804. He continued at the school until 1827.
He lived with Johanna Catharina Haak starting in 1805.
Lillie became Lübeck’s Chief Architect in 1813. He died in Lübeck 1827, and is buried at St. Jürgen Friedhof cemetery.
Neoclassicism
Neoclassicism is the name given to Western movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that draw inspiration from the "classical" art and culture of Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome...
architect
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
and
interior design
Interior design
Interior design describes a group of various yet related projects that involve turning an interior space into an effective setting for the range of human activities are to take place there. An interior designer is someone who conducts such projects...
er. His early career was in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, where he is mainly known for his interior designs and furniture production. His later career was in Schleswig
Schleswig
Schleswig or South Jutland is a region covering the area about 60 km north and 70 km south of the border between Germany and Denmark; the territory has been divided between the two countries since 1920, with Northern Schleswig in Denmark and Southern Schleswig in Germany...
-Holstein
Holstein
Holstein is the region between the rivers Elbe and Eider. It is part of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of Germany....
, where he is known for his independent architectural works.
Early life and training
He was born in CopenhagenCopenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
to master
Master craftsman
A master craftsman or master tradesman was a member of a guild. In the European guild system, only masters were allowed to be members of the guild....
cabinetmaker Georg Friederich Lillie and wife Maria Eva Schils. He is presumed to have trained as a cabinetmaker
Cabinet making
Cabinet making is the practice of using various woodworking skills to create cabinets, shelving and furniture.Cabinet making involves techniques such as creating appropriate joints, dados, bevels, chamfers and shelving systems, the use of finishing tools such as routers to create decorative...
.
He was educated at the Royal Danish Academy of Art
Royal Danish Academy of Art
The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts has provided a practice-oriented complement to the scholarly investigation of the arts carried out at Danish universities for more than 250 years, playing a crucial part in the development of the distinctive tradition of the art of Denmark.- History :The Royal...
ca. 1774-1780, and was a student of Caspar Frederik Harsdorff
Caspar Frederik Harsdorff
Caspar Frederik Harsdorff, also known as C.F. Harsdorff, , Danish neoclassical architect is considered to be Denmark’s leading architect in the late 18th century, and is referred to as “The Father of Danish Classicism”.- Early life and training :He was born Caspar Frederik Harsdørffer in...
, then Director of the Academy and Denmark’s leading architect in the late 18th century, now referred to as “The Father of Danish Classicism”. He won both the Academy’s little silver medallion and the large silver medallion in 1775. He won the little gold medallion in 1777, and the large gold medallion in 1779, the same year as fellow architecture student Christian Frederik Hansen
Christian Frederik Hansen
Christian Frederik Hansen , known as C.F. Hansen, was the leading Danish architect between the late 18th century and the mid 19th century, and on account of his position at the Royal Danish Academy of Art the most powerful person in artistic circles for many years...
won his gold medallion. He and Hansen became friends, and Lillie worked closely with him during his career.
Early career in Denmark
He worked as a substitute teacher in the Academy’s building class 1781-1782, and in 1783 he took on a fulltime position there as teacher, but never as a professor, which meant that he could not become a member of the Academy.In early 1784 the Cabinetmaking Guild
Guild
A guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade. The earliest types of guild were formed as confraternities of workers. They were organized in a manner something between a trade union, a cartel, and a secret society...
tried to prevent his getting a license to run the family cabinetmaking workshop, which his recently deceased mother had run as a widow after the death of his father. The Guild did not recognize him as having Guild rights, because he had not received Guild recognition on a submitted work for approval
Masterpiece
Masterpiece in modern usage refers to a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or to a work of outstanding creativity, skill or workmanship....
. The Academy, under Johannes Wiedewelt
Johannes Wiedewelt
Johannes Wiedewelt , Danish neoclassical sculptor, was born in Copenhagen to royal sculptor to the Danish Court, Just Wiedewelt, and his wife Birgitte Lauridsdatter...
’s leadership, supported Lillie’s request for a trade license as a cabinetmaker in Copenhagen. The Chancellery
Chancellery
Chancellery is the office of the chancellor, sometimes also referred to as the chancery. Both of those words have other meanings as well.Chancellery can specifically refer to:...
awarded him all Guild rights, because he had won the Academy’s large gold medallion in 1779. He received his trade license that year, and ran the workshop 1784-1799.
That same year, on Harsdorff’s recommendation, he was hired by new Director Carsten Anker as inspector and designer at The Royal Furniture Storehouse (Det kongelige Møbelmagasin), replacing Georg Roentgen from Neuwied. The Storehouse was a national institution with the aim of improving domestic furniture production by creating model production facilities, supporting new master craftsmen, and selling furniture in its own store.
He married Rebekka Marie Clausen June 25, 1784.
His talents were also used for the interior design of apartments at Christiansborg Palace
Christiansborg Palace
Christiansborg Palace, , on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, is the seat of the Folketing , the Danish Prime Minister's Office and the Danish Supreme Court...
. His first large work was the decoration of the suite at the castle for the newly married Princess Louise Augusta and Christian Friedrich of Augustenborg in 1786.
In 1787 he was cited for negligence of duties as a teacher at the Academy, and was refused a travel stipend, which should have been his due as recipient of the gold medallion eight years prior. Fellow gold medallion winner that same year and friend C.F. Hansen had also been refused a travel stipend, but was able to travel on account of direct financial dispensation from Dowager Queen Juliane Marie
Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
Duchess Juliane Marie of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel , , was queen of Denmark between 1752 and 1766, second consort of king Frederick V of Denmark and Norway, mother of the prince-regent Hereditary Prince Frederick of Denmark and Norway and herself de facto regent 1772–1784.- Early life and queen :Born...
and King Christian VII
Christian VII of Denmark
Christian VII was King of Denmark and Norway and Duke of Schleswig and Holstein from 1766 until his death. He was the son of Danish King Frederick V and his first consort Louisa, daughter of King George II of Great Britain....
.
In 1788 he applied for the job of City Architect i Copenhagen, but to no avail.
He married his second wife Julie Meinier (Meunier) in France.
In 1790 Lillie did the interior design for Crown Prince and Regent Frederik
Frederick VI of Denmark
Frederick VI reigned as King of Denmark , and as king of Norway .-Regent of Denmark:Frederick's parents were King Christian VII and Caroline Matilda of Wales...
’s apartments both at Christiansborg Palace
Christiansborg Palace
Christiansborg Palace, , on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, is the seat of the Folketing , the Danish Prime Minister's Office and the Danish Supreme Court...
, and at Frederiksberg Palace
Frederiksberg Palace
Frederiksberg Palace is a Baroque residence, located in Frederiksberg, Denmark, adjacent to the Copenhagen Zoo. It commands an impressive view over Frederiksberg Park, originally designed as a palace garden in the Baroque style...
. On November 3, 1790 he was appointed Interior Designer to the Danish Court.
He travelled in Norway 1793.
The interior decoration in 1794-1795 of various apartments in Schack's Palace (today commonly referred to as Christian IX’s Palace) at Amalienborg
Amalienborg Palace
Amalienborg Palace is the winter home of the Danish royal family, and is located in Copenhagen, Denmark. It consists of four identical classicizing palace façades with rococo interiors around an octagonal courtyard ; in the centre of the square is a monumental equestrian statue of Amalienborg's...
, then the home of the Crown Prince and his family, are also attributed to him.
The Christiansborg fire of 1794 destroyed much of his work at the castle, although some individual pieces survived.
Later career in Lübeck
Economic conditions were hard for artists at the turn of the 19th century, with shriveling funds from the public coffers due to, among other things, the loss of Christiansborg, the setting up of new residences at Amalienborg, and pending war which was realised in the early 19th century. After a bankruptcy in 1798 he left Copenhagen and Danmark, and moved to LübeckLübeck
The Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...
, where the second half of his career began.
His second wife died July 21, 1804 in Lübeck.
He became resident architect for C.F. Hansen with the establishment of Kastorf and Kramonshagen in Holstein 1801-1802.
He became the Director and Professor of Architecture, Perspective and Geometry at the Freie Zeichenschule, Lübeck in 1804. He continued at the school until 1827.
He lived with Johanna Catharina Haak starting in 1805.
Lillie became Lübeck’s Chief Architect in 1813. He died in Lübeck 1827, and is buried at St. Jürgen Friedhof cemetery.
Other works
- Furniture for Marienlyst CastleMarienlyst CastleMarienlyst Castle, Danish Marienlyst Slot, is a palacial residence located in Helsingør, Denmark. It was named after King Frederik V of Denmark's second wife, Juliana Maria the queen consort of Denmark and Norway. The building formerly served as a royal pavilion of Kronborg Castle and was mostly...
near HelsingørElsinoreHelsingør is a city and the municipal seat of Helsingør municipality on the northeast coast of the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark. Helsingør has a population of 46,279 including the southern suburbs of Snekkersten and Espergærde...
(1791) - Interior decoration for Liselund PalaceLiselundLiselund is an 18th-century aesthetically landscaped park, complete with several exotic buildings and monuments. Located close to Møns Klint on the north-eastern corner of the Danish island of Møn, it is deemed to be one of the finest examples in Scandinavia of Romantic English gardening...
on the Isle of MønMøn-Location:Møn is located just off the south-eastern tip of Zealand from which it is separated by the waters of the Hølen strait between Kalvehave and the island of Nyord, at the northern end of Møn. Further south is Stege Bugt...
(1792) is attributed to him - The coffin for Queen DowagerQueen DowagerA queen dowager or dowager queen is a title or status generally held by the widow of a deceased king. In the case of the widow of a deceased emperor, the title of empress dowager is used...
Juliane MarieJuliana Maria of Brunswick-WolfenbüttelDuchess Juliane Marie of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel , , was queen of Denmark between 1752 and 1766, second consort of king Frederick V of Denmark and Norway, mother of the prince-regent Hereditary Prince Frederick of Denmark and Norway and herself de facto regent 1772–1784.- Early life and queen :Born...
(1796) - Interior design of the main building at Brede in Lyngby-TaarbækLyngby-TaarbækLyngby-Taarbæk Kommune is a municipality in Region Hovedstaden near Copenhagen on the east coast of the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 39 km², and has a total population of 51,449 . Its mayor as of 2010 is Søren P...
(1797) - BehnhausBehnhausThe Behnhaus is an art museum in the Hanseatic city of Lübeck, Germany, and part of its World heritage site.The Behnhaus as a structure is a neoclassical building with interior design by the Danish architect Joseph Christian Lillie. The museum exhibits furniture from this period, and paintings and...
in Lübeck, now an art museum within Lillie's Interior design in the World Heritage SiteWorld Heritage SiteA UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
city (ca. 1800) - Linde'sche Villa in Lübeck, today the city’s wedding registry. The house and garden is also important in the art of Edvard MunchEdvard MunchEdvard Munch was a Norwegian Symbolist painter, printmaker and an important forerunner of expressionist art. His best-known composition, The Scream, is part of a series The Frieze of Life, in which Munch explored the themes of love, fear, death, melancholia, and anxiety.- Childhood :Edvard Munch...
, and later became the domicile of Munch collector and patronPatronagePatronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows to another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings or popes have provided to musicians, painters, and sculptors...
Dr. Max LindeMax LindeMax Linde was an ophthalmologist who is best known as a patron and art collector of the early 20th century. He was an important patron of the painter Edvard Munch, among others.-Further reading:...
(1804) - The mausoleum for Hereditary Princess Helene Paulowna, LudwigslustLudwigslustLudwigslust is a town in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, 40 km south of Schwerin. It was the capital of the former district of Ludwigslust, and is part of the district Ludwigslust-Parchim since September 2011.-History:...
(1804–1806) - The first Kurhaus in TravemündeTravemündeTravemünde is a borough of Lübeck, Germany, located at the mouth of the river Trave in Lübeck Bay. It began life as a fortress built by Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony, in the 12th century to guard the mouth of the Trave, and the Danes subsequently strengthened it. It became a town in 1317 and in...
, there are still some elements of his interior decoration in the later building, which has reopened as a hotel in 2005 (1819–1820) - The manor house in Schönfeld near Mühlen EichsenMühlen EichsenMühlen Eichsen is a municipality in the Nordwestmecklenburg district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany....
in MecklenburgMecklenburgMecklenburg is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern...
(1820) - The manor house for the von BülowBülowBülow may refer to:*Bülow, Germany, a municipality in the district of Parchim, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, GermanyThe von Bülow family are a German / Danish noble family, with the titles Baron or Prince...
family in GudowGudowGudow is a municipality in the district of Lauenburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.-History:Between 1982 and 1990 Gudow served as West German inner German border crossing for cars travelling along Bundesautobahn 24 between the East German Democratic Republic, or West Berlin and the West German...
near Mölln (1824–1827)
Further reading
- Ilsabe von Bülow: Joseph Christian Lillie (1760-1827). (In German language) Berlin 2008. ISBN 9783422066106